The Departure

So the day finally arrives. I leave my mum's place where I had been blissfully wasting away the past 5 or 6 weeks and am now in such a panic... Jeebus... Have i got everything?... Am I sure I really want to do this?..... I hope I am allowed into Europe?.... butterflies was an understatement. Butterflies are what you get on a first date, a job interview or your first day of a new job. This was more like a cross between sheer terror and self resentment for even contemplating this ridiculous adventure. I smoked about 12 cigarettes in the space of three and a half hours. A few hurdles had already been thrown my way already...this is too much.

So as I have invested too much time and money into whatever this is going to be, and the pure fact that I am as stubborn as one can get, I make my way to the Gold Coast airport to catch my flight to Sydney. So far, So good....I  have done this plenty of times no sweat.

I am checked in by a beautiful Jetstar employee who gives me a nice smile and all the anxiety and pressure starts to ease away. She asks me if she can move me to the row where the emergency exits are, I was hoping for a window seat. She informs me it is a window seat, however i would have to be willing and able to assist in an emergency. To which i respond... why not, I always wanted to be a superhero. She laughs. Anyway, back to the real topic.

I board the flight and fall asleep soon after take off and when I wake up I feel completely at ease. That is until I land in Sydney. I realise I don't know what the fuck I am doing.... How do i get to the International terminal? After waiting 15 mins to get my luggage.. I go outside for a cigarette and think. There is a sign informing me I can either get a bus, train or taxi to the International terminal. The bus is the cheap option however the map makes no sense and I don't really have any idea where the bus goes from, but I can see the Taxi rank nearby and opt for the taxi.

After getting the driver offside by telling him I only had a $50 note (he was an angry Japanese gentleman) I decide to offer to pay by eftpos and he agrees this is the better option. I make my way to the Terminal to get my International flight. I arrive at the terminal and as I walk through the doors I am greeted by a huge hall of counters and not really any clear instructions on where i should go... The signs just say 'Check In' followed by a letter (Eg. Check In A). What the fuck is A? Does A indicate Surname? Does A mean, Gate A? I feel like I'm on some weird Sesame Street trip where todays nightmare was brought to you by the letter A.

I walk down the hollow hallway looking at empty kiosks and passing a few scattered passengers who may or may not be as confused as me. I wonder does A stand for the name of an Airline? I walk past a sign 'Check In B'. Hmmmm.... not helping.... just more empty kiosks. It's like a ghost town. There are some moniters with flight information, but it kinda looks like jibberish to me so I continue down looking for 'Check In E' after walking about 1 km down (maybe a little exaggerated) this hall i finally see the first signs of life. It's Check In D. there are people at kiosks and people checking in.... EUREKA.... have i found it? Could it be? QANTAS? What the fuck? How does Check In D = Qantas? What the fuck? Am I ever going to find where I need to go? I texted my friend and yes I used these words... 'I want my Mummy". I was joking of course.

I wander past the Qantas kiosks and eventually reach 'Check In E' there are Emirates symbols and women wearing funny  bright red hats (almost like something one would wear to the races).... Yes, I have never been so happy to see a woman in a funny hat. Ok, this is a start, now where do i go? I look at the board with all the jibberish and all of a sudden I realise I do speak jibberish. I just needed to stop and think for a minute and it would saved me alot of stress.

I line up in the check in line, I am about 6 hours early for my flight but I wanted to ensure I gave my self plenty of time. I get to the counter and the girl asks me something and I'm not sure what it was... she asks me for my passport... "Oh sorry.." I reply. "This is my first time going overseas and I have no clue what I am doing". She smiles and says "First timer? Don't worry I have never been overseas either. I am going in 5 months though and I'm sure I will be as nervous as you". She's pretty but for the hat... and we make chit chat  while she does her thing. As she hands me my passport and ticket back, she tells me I will need to get some sort of visa from some counter when I get to Dubai. I am like what? I ask is this counter easy to find? She smiles and says I will have to go through customs in Dubai. Instantly my head spins and I am so confused, I only have a stop over.... I will not be leaving the airport? I am too confused to ask anything so I just wander off and decide... I will figure it out when I need too.

I look around for awhile. I go into the duty free shop. It reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld i saw. I ask the guy in the shop.... So What's Duty anyway? I don't think he gets it because he starts to explain how it is a tax... I tune out. There are some cool things.... bottles of 25 year old Chivas Regal, but I figure everything's cheap in Eastern Europe anyway. I will buy it there.

I decide to head through customs. I say to the customs officer "I hope i filled the card out correctly, It's my first time." she laughs and says " So you are a virgin?". I give her a shy smile like the 15 year old boy seeing his first tit. She asks me a couple of questions and then tells me "not to worry... I will be fine". Then i go through security, this is no different to security for a domestic flight except the attendant makes me skull my bottle of water as I am not allowed to take it through.

Now I sit at a table in a bar area.... Doner Kebab, Birra Moretti and laptop writing this story. I'll be honest I will still anxious but writing has helped and the 2 beers may have taken the edge off. My flight is at 9:45 PM, maybe I will be able to sleep for a long period through the night... at least I hope. I land in Dubai at 5:45 AM local time, then have one and half hours to get my flight to Bucharest. I hope there are no delays. I hope I don't get arrested for failing to get this visa i don't understand anything about. I hope my bag doesn't get put on the wrong flight. I guess I will find the answers to these questions in due time.

Until next time... PEACE